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About the tour...
Tour starts from Oludeniz and boat takes you to world-famous butterfly
valley, blue-inn, camel beach, cold-spring , St. Nicholas island and to the other
islands between Fethiye and Oludeniz.
We also arrange a service bus from the pension to the boat for free and the way
back. That is a lazy-day out on the sea where nature and the history are combined
together.
About the valley...
Butterfly Valley opens onto a cove near Fethiye on Turkey's
southwest coast. This deep steep-sided valley has a floor of approximately ten
hectares in area where almost all the butterfly and moth species of the
Mediterranean coastal region are to be found, making it an open-air natural
history museum. The abundance of lepidoptera is owing to the humid microclimate
created by waterfalls in the valley, and also to the hundred or so different
plant species found here. The butterfly which inspired the valley's name is the
so-called leopard butterfly (Euplagia quadripunctaria), one of the loveliest
members of the Arctiidae family. Between June and October thousands of these
butterflies gather in a large colony here.
 For nine or ten months from late winter onwards it is possible to follow the
full life cycle of the butterflies of the valley. Here naturalists have
identified around 35 butterfly and 40 moth species, the latter including some of
the Mediterranean regions most strikingly patterned species, Sphingidae.
Most people make day trips to the valley by boat from the Ölüdeniz lagoon, a
trip of 30 minutes. The boats usually stop off on the way at the Blue Cave, and
if the captain of your boat stays here long enough for a swim, do not miss the
chance to swim into the cave and experience the full impact of its beauty.
The valley lies in the foothills of the 2000 metre high Mount Babadağ and runs
between soaring rock walls. An alternative way to arrive is by hang-glider off
Babadağ, so making a spectacular flying start to your visit.
There are two paths through the valley, one leading to the waterfalls and the
other to the village of Faralya. The first path leads you past many different
plants, flowers and trees, and the fragrance of thyme and other aromatic plants
saturates the air. As you walk deeper into the valley the rock walls close in.
If you are lucky you will come across flocks of butterflies which scatter at
your approach. During your walk, you could chanced upon a pair of large tailed
Machaon butterflies in the process of mating. This type of butterfly is a rare
sight under any circumstances, and we were lucky that they posed for us for
several minutes, preoccupied with their own affairs.
The valley comes to a dead-end at high sheer cliffs, down which two waterfalls
cascade to the ground. We showered under the falls as a reward for reaching our
destination. The second path leading to the village is so extremely steep that
as a safety measure ropes have been left at a couple of critical points. If
panic does not get the better of you, negotiating this difficult route is well
worth the exertion. As you climb higher magnificent views over Butterfly Valley
are spread at your feet.
There is no electricity, telephones, television, buildings or roads in Butterfly
Valley, proving that tourism can thrive without any of these modern
conveniences, and that unspoiled nature alone is what many come to Turkey.
About the Gemiler and St. Nicholas Islands...
There are churches, chapels and civil building ruins of
Byzantium period, constructed between 5 - 11th centuries AD on the island
reached via ships from Ölüdeniz (Blue Lagoon) or Gemiler Bay. It is important as
its one of the centres from where Christianity is initially spread. Island also
known as St. Nicolas, is one of the resort places of Blue Tour ships.
 The island is full of historical works of art and the church
of St. Nicholas is here. Therefore, the island is also called the Island of St.
Nicholas. Although it has been suggested recently that the tomb of Santa Claus
might have been here, the accepted fact is that the tomb is in Myra.
All of the remains in the Island of Ships belong to the Late Age. Owing to the
fact that an earthquake caused the island to sink a little into the water in the
year 240 AD, some of the remains lie underwater today. There are the remains of
a palace ornamented with mosaics, on top of the island. This palace is connected
to the church on the shore, by means of a tunnel 500 m in length. There are also
many other remains of houses on the island.
Gemiler Island is filled with ruins. Among the medieval buildings on the island
is a church and on the hill are the ruins of a palace decorated with mosaics.
There are cisterns and wells on the island too. On the northern side are the
remains of a quay and warehouse that are now partially submerged. The side of
the island facing the mainland is suitable as an anchorage. Immediately opposite
this is a restaurant and places where one may find accommodation. This place is
also accessible by highway from Fethiye. Inland was the ancient city of
Carmylessus. Between here and Fethiye is the village of Kaya. Formerly inhabited
by Greeks, the village was abandoned during the population exchanges that took
place in 1922 and is now empty. There are plans to turn it into a holiday
village.
From Gemiler Island one reaches Bestas Harbour. Rounding Yogan Cape from here one
enters the gulf of Belcegiz. Ölü Deniz, a beautiful inland bay that stretches
behind the cape, is now closed to yachts. The reason this heavenly place is
called Ölü Deniz ("Sea of the Dead") is attributed to the following legend. Once
a father and son were caught in a storm here and were in danger of sinking. The
son claimed that if they approached the rocks ashore they could take shelter in
a cove. The father on the other hand asserted that their ship would be driven
onto the rocks and break up and that there were no coves around here anyway. In
his terror of running around on the rocks, the father knocked his son (who was
at the helm) into the sea with an oar and took over the helm himself. Just as
the ship was about to hit the rocks on the cape, she turned into this calm,
smooth watered bay. This is the reason they say the bay is called the Sea of the
Dead, whereas what with the pine clad sandy beach stretched out like a tongue,
the name "Paradise Bay" would be more fitting. Vessels are not allowed inside
the bay to prevent its pollution.
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